Ford Ranger

The Ford Ranger is a nameplate that has been used on three distinct model lines of vehicles sold by Ford. Originally, the name was used by the short-lived Edsel Ranger car, then it later referred to a version of the Ford F-Series pickup truck sold in North America between model year 1965 and 1981 that denoted a styling package. Ford repurposed the name "Ranger" in 1982 for the 1983 model year for a compact pickup truck sold in North America and later parts of South America. Since 1998, Ford has offered a separate model of Ranger sold internationally.

Americas (1983–2012 model years)

Ford designed and engineered the North American version of the Ranger, which commenced manufacture in January 1982 for the 1983 model year and ended production in December 2011. For the 1995 model year, Ford exported the North American model to select Latin and South American countries; however, as demand increased, Ford began producing the model at its Argentinian plant. During the 1994 through 2010 model years, Mazda badge engineered this model as the North American "B-Series" replacing the "international" version of the Mazda B-Series that had previously been retailed in North America. During its 29-year production run, the Ranger received several updates: notably, the 1989 model year facelift, the introduction of the second-generation model for 1993, a 1998 model year facelift of the same, and several smaller second-generation cosmetic changes in the 2001, 2004, and 2006 model years. The Latin and South American version was re-skinned in 2009 for the 2010 model year, receiving all-new exterior sheet metal while retaining the existing body structure. On December 22, 2011, the last USA-built Ranger rolled off the St. Paul, Minnesota assembly line.

Ford Ranger (T6)

The Ford Ranger, codenamed T6, is a mid-sized pickup truck produced by Ford, first unveiled in October 2010, at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. The T6 replaces two regional Ranger platforms: the Mazda BT-50-derived model sold in the Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions and the North American model sold in select Latin American markets.

Although the T6 Ranger is sold in 180 global markets, it is currently not sold in Canada and the United States, due to the new platform being too close in size and cost to the F-150, and due to overall declining sales of compact pickups in North America. However, it is offered in the Middle East, Mexico, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru, the Netherlands (Aruba, Curaçao, and St. Marteen), the Cayman Islands, and most Caribbean countries in addition to the F-150. However, the Ranger is not sold alongside the Ford F-Series in Iceland. Ford initially planned a mid-sized truck based on a modified F-150 chassis for the North American market named the F-100; but this was shelved in favour of offering the 3.5-L EcoBoost V6 engine on the F-150. Additionally, American and Canadian safety and emissions standards, as well as the long-standing 25% import tariff imposed on non-American-built light trucks prevent the T6 Ranger from being imported into North America; however, the 3.2-L Duratorq is being adapted for North American consumption as a Power Stroke engine in the 2015 Ford Transit. Similarly, safety and emissions standards in ECE-compliant nations, the need for right-hand drive in certain international markets, and foreign perception of American vehicles being too large prevent the F-150 from being globalised.

Ford Ranger (North America)

The Ford Ranger is a compact pickup truck that was manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company from 1983 to 2012 model years for North America; from 1997 to 2011, a version was also manufactured and sold in South America. Introduced to replace the Ford Courier produced in Japan by Mazda, the Ranger was produced in two distinct generations. While introduced a year after the Chevrolet S-10, the Ranger would go on to become the best-selling compact truck in the United States from 1987 to 2004.

Over its production life, the chassis and underpinnings of the Ranger would be used for various compact Ford trucks, most commonly as sport-utility vehicles. During the 1990s and 2000s, Mazda adopted a badge-engineered version of Ranger, taking on the B-Series nameplate (the reverse of the Ford Courier produced by Mazda).

Over its 29-year production run, Ford sourced the Ranger from three different assembly plants in North America. The Ranger was produced at the Louisville Assembly Plant in Louisville, Kentucky from 1982 to 1999; from 1993 to 2004, production also was sourced from Edison Assembly in Edison, New Jersey. For its entire production run, the Ranger was produced at Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, Minnesota. The final 2012 Ford Ranger produced on December 16, 2011 also ended 86 years of production at Twin Cities Assembly.